Merkley steps down as Speaker; next stop, Capitol Hill

Oregon's senator-elect Jeff Merkley, photographed in November, resigned his seat in the state Legislature.

WASHINGTON -- Jeff Merkley formally resigned one job today to clear the way for a new one. Merkley gave up his seat in the Oregon House in a brief letter to Secretary of State Bill Bradbury. "I hereby submit my resignation to the Oregon House of Representatives,'' the three-sentence letter said. "Serving as a representative from District 47 as well as Speaker of the House has been an honor and a privilege,'' Merkley wrote, adding that his resignation would take effect at noon today. With that formality accomplished, Merkley will become Oregon's newest U.S. senator on Tuesday when he is formally sworn in. The five-term state legislator defeated Republican Sen. Gordon Smith by 3 percentage points, 49 to 46, and unseated an incumbent Oregon senator for the first time in 40 years.